Christmas tree stands have conventionally been awkward to use because of difficulties in obtaining a proper balance with the tree so that it does not tip. They have also normally presented difficulties where the tree trunk was not relatively straight, requiring the services of more than one person to hold and adjust the tree. Many stands are also difficult to work with because of their required proximity to the trunk or because the adjustment must be made at the base of the tree.
It would be desirable to provide a versatile type of stand which firmly engages the tree regardless of the tree's size, bushiness, or the straightness or other characteristics of its trunk, and whereby the stand is conveniently adjustable, easy to use in a variety of locations, and can be stored compactly when not in use.
In the prior art there are numerous examples of tree stands such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,399,973; 4,381,621; 4,307,540; 3,661,349; 3,437,296; 2,671,624; and 2,500,215.
In general, these references disclose stands for supporting objects with different characteristics, such as objects which require straightening, etc. In most cases, such stands as will be seen from this art are generally not collapsible for storage purposes. Normally, after use, the stand must be disassembled and then its component parts, stored.